St. Joseph Medical Center ICE at Discovery Green
Chances are we won’t have any snow on Christmas (Houston weather being what it is, we might all be wearing shorts and T-shirts until New Year’s). But that doesn’t mean you can’t spend December 25 ice-skating at the St. Joseph Medical Center ICE at Discovery Green. (Modern technology helps DG…
Howl
“Who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy,” celebrates counterculture guru Allen Ginsberg in his 1955 Beat Generation epic poem, “Howl.” That and other sentiments got his publisher, the great Lawrence Ferlinghetti, busted for obscenity in 1957. It all ended happily when, in…
Gallery Scene: Three Exhibits to Catch Before 2011
As we anticipate next year’s new crop of gallery shows, there’s still a few lingering exhibits you have just a couple days to catch before they close. Anthony Thompson Shumate: “Cocky” Shumate based this show around specific things people have said about his artwork. Until you know this, as Kelly…
New Year’s Eve: The Blogging Will Continue Until Morale Improves
This weird year could only end weirdly, and that’s what it’s doing, with some people getting Thursday and Friday off, some people just Friday, and — we assume — some poor souls being told “Hey, New Year’s is on Saturday, tough luck.” (We assume many in that last category lack…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Joe Phillips of Oh My! Pocket Pies
There are variations of the hand pie across the globe: the Polish pierogi, the Italian calzone, the Argentine empanada, the British meat pie… Here in Houston, we simply call them pocket pies. This month marks the one year anniversary of Oh My! Pocket Pies, one of Houston’s original gourmet food…
Comments of the Day: On Wine with Lunch, and Hipstamatic
Today we’re doing two comments of the day, because we so wholeheartedly agree with them both. First, in response to Katharine Shilcutt’s post “Stretch that Dining Dollar: Eat Fancy at Lunch,” commenter Francesca gave an over-the-top thumbs up to wine with lunch: Oh, the wisdom encapsulated in the idea of…
Music’s Top Five Hottest Trends For 2011
Every year-end Rocks Off prognosticates the likeliest trends in music for the upcoming year. So far, we’ve got a 100 percent success rate, although since the FBI made us take down all of our previous predictions, we have no way to prove it. So you’ll just have to copy and…
Jonathan Foster: “Close “Family Friend” Arrested In Disappearance
Multiple media sources are reporting that HPD sources say an arrest has been made in the case of Jonathan Foster, the 12-year-old northside kid who went missing on Christmas Eve. The Houston Chronicle says “a close family friend has been arrested and is expected to be charged with the kidnapping…
New Year’s Eve Cocktail Recipe: Lavender Blossom
This time of year, everyone is busy creating new ways to enjoy an old favorite: champagne cocktails. Since sparkly beverages are a favorite of mine, I couldn’t help whipping up my own version. I recommend using a dry sparkling wine to complement the sweeter elements of this drink. It’s bubbly,…
New On DVD: The American, Handsome Harry, Twelve
(Capsule reviews by Melissa Anderson and Mark Olsen.) The American Judging by the advertisements, The American is a fast-paced, stylish thriller starring George Clooney as a dashing, conflicted hero. Yet the actual movie is a deconstructed action picture in which not much happens (until it does). Directed by Anton Corbijn…
GEO: Private-Prison Company Somehow Keeps Getting Contracts In Texas
When Arthur William Brown left his Houston halfway house December 15, he did the usual: he signed the check-out form that residents of the facility have to sign whenever they leave the premises for the day. Only on that day, Brown, paroled after serving 31 years for aggravated sexual assault of…
Corner Bakery Coming Back Home to Texas
Oddly, the only two times I’ve ever eaten at a Corner Bakery in my life have been on the two trips I took to Chicago. The place was close to the hotel on both visits, good for early morning breakfast runs before heading back to O’Hare. I say “oddly” because…
Notable Bar & Venue Closures Of 2010
Houston had quite a few bars close down in 2010. They were your favorite places to drink, mingle, talk to a conquest, bum a cigarette, and spend money you didn’t have, and they all mostly left with whimper, or in one bar’s case, about a dozen fire trucks. For every…
Texas Bowl’s TexFest Canceled By Rain, Some Events Moved Inside
Everyone bitches about a drought, but then the rain picks the worst time to hit. The TexFest, the music/food/fun outdoor part of today’s Texas Bowl, has been canceled because of the drippy, coldish, gloomy weather. We’re sure Illinois fans are wondering what the hell’s up, since this “weather cancellation” doesn’t…
10 Good Differences Between 2000 and 2010
Note: This was written by Richard Connelly and Craig Hlavaty We take a look in the print edition this week at a decade most of us would just as soon forget, the period from 2000-2010. But we have to admit not everything was bad. Cell phones, for instance, got a…
Five Tips for Shooting Food Photos with Your iPhone
Lots of you like snapping photos of your food while preparing it or after it is served. Most of the time, that means using a point-and-shoot digital camera or something nicer if you have it despite the weird looks of wait staff and fellow patrons. There are times, however, when…
Slideshow: Stripping Through the Ages (NSFW)
Dallas’ Ruby Revue burlesque group returned to the the House of Blues Tuesday night. The curvy ladies jiggled and swung their pasties in spirals to the theme of vintage burlesque. (No blood or alien-bursting nipples this go-round–their last visit’s theme was horror.) If Houston crowds are turning out this well…
Joe Ely, Bobby Womack Top Early 2011 Concert Picks
Lonesome Onry and Mean got a Facebook event invitation Monday that caused us to panic and pull our credit card out so we could be sure we had a ticket. And in doing so, we realized that 2011 is upon us and we have some planning ahead to do. Here…
The Week In Art Photos
Before we look back at the best art photos of 2010, we decided to take one last cold dip in the Houston Press Flickr Pool this year before we choose our faves on Friday…
Our 10 Most-Clicked Items Of The Year, Including Some Odd Ones
For the record and in case it’s not clear, we appreciate like hell all the reading and commenting you do all year on Hair Balls. We love it. What stories most piqued reader interest this year? The internet brings the ability to examine that closely. And here they are (although…
Brew Blog: Great Lakes Brewery’s Dortmunder Gold
Listening to Wait, Wait …Don’t Tell Me on NPR a few weeks ago, a caller from Cleveland was challenged to come up with something positive about his city. After a long silence that drew plenty of laughs, he said, “Great Lakes beer.” The Cleveland-based brewery is definitely one of many…
Herney The Great Is Really Doing It
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Shortly ago, we received an email and Twitter…
Rest Easy, Northside: Irvington Fire Station To Remain Open During Renovations
Northside residents had been mightily pissed at the thought that the fire station in the 4900 block of Irvington was going to be shuttered while it was renovated. They can rest easy: HFD has announced it will keep the place up and running while the work is done. “The decision…
Bean Pie, My Brother?
If 2011 is supposed to be the year of the pie, I would like to humbly submit the bean pie for consideration as one of the great examples of pie innovation throughout the years. At Conscious Cafe — the subject of this week’s cafe review — you can buy bean…
Texas Blues Guitarist and Indie-Film Actor Killed
Last night, Houston blues fixture “Mean” Gene Kelton was killed when his SUV collided head-on with a Crosby school bus. While he was known mostly in blues and biker circles, Kelton had recently branched out into acting, co-starring in Roberto Minervini’s The Passage (formerly titled Marfa Red). The independent production,…
Houston Musician Mean Gene Kelton Killed In Car Accident
Longtime Houston musician “Mean” Gene Kelton, whose band the Die Hards has been a fixture at biker rallies and ice houses around the area for almost 20 years, was killed in a car accident Tuesday evening. The following update was posted on Kelton’s Facebook page: To my friends and fans…
Today Is Baylor Day In Houston. Act Accordingly
Things you probably didn’t know: Today is Baylor Day in Houston — with a fancy proclamation and everything. It all has to do with the Texas Bowl, in which Baylor is making its return to post-season football after a long absence. (If you’re aware of how difficult it is not…
Five Fortuitous New Year’s Foods
Not like you need any excuse to stuff yourself during the holidays, but take heed of what you eat around December 31st if you’re interested in a little extra good fortune. Depending on who you ask, certain foods — if consumed on New Year’s — will bring you luck in…
Our 2011 Design Crush: The Fiat 500
They’re already old news in Europe, having hit the market a year or so ago, but we’re predicting U.S. style-setters are about to develop an automotive crush unequaled since the Mini. With its red-hot Italian styling, the new Fiat 500 is an enticing option for 2011 if you’re not planning…
Comment Of The Day: Glengarry Glen Texans
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Beer Battered Asparagus at Hearsay Gastro Lounge
In a weak attempt to construct a nutritionally balanced meal at Hearsay Gastro Lounge, I ordered the St. Arnold Beer Battered Asparagus ($6) as a vegetable to round out my protein (brisket sandwich) and carbohydrates (macaroni and cheese). What can I say? I’m a health nut. I think asparagus is…
Better Than Ezra Succeeding On Their Own Terms
It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard from ’90s hitmakers Better Than Ezra, but they’ve reconvened over the last year, releasing their seventh album Paper Empire and embarking on a “Road to Mardi Gras” tour which winds down New Years Eve in the band’s hometown of New Orleans. While…
DWI No Refusal: Houston, Montgomery County Make The Today Show
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyNew Year’s Eve is coming up, and that means local law enforcement agencies are putting out tons of press releases warning drivers about DWI. Harris and Montgomery counties, two of the more aggressive players in that game, scored a…
Last Night: Hayes Carll At Warehouse Live
Hayes Carll Warehouse Live December 28, 2010 It was almost New Year’s Eve, just not cold as hell for Houston. For the third year in a row, Woodlands native Hayes Carll shambled back from Austin for his post-Christmas show at Warehouse Live, which might explain why the night felt more…
On the Menu: #11 at Flying Dragon
The Flying Dragon (1710 W. 18th), an obscure, little Chinese food eatery tucked into the corner of a retail strip, caught my eye while driving the other day. Obscure Chinese food eatery? There are hundreds of those in the greater Houston area. But why did I stop at this one?…
Ticket City, New Era Pinstripe? What Happened To The Real Bowl Games?
It’s possible that I’m getting old and becoming one of those grumpy old dudes who think that everything was better during his day. That caveat out of the way, I’ve got to ask: am I the only one around here who remembers when the New Year’s Day bowl games were…
Top Five: Houston Arts Bummers of 2010
While 2010 delivered some major art events that raised eyebrows beyond Texas, calling attention to Houston’s rising status as an arts destination, we were also dealt some blows. They were mostly psychological wounds, and it’s yet to be seen what the tangible impact will be. If anything, 2010’s most disappointing…
Gary Kubiak Deathwatch: The Days Dwindle Down To A Precious Few
There are only three days left in December. That is the sole reason the updated Gary Kubiak Deathwatch is firmly pointed at “Gone in January” as opposed to “He’s Outta Here.” There would be little point for Bob McNair to fire Kubiak now (on the other hand, there was little…
A New Social Network For Bands To (Literally) Crash
Touring is expensive, whether you’re hauling around a KISS-level spectacle or just your own local indie selves in a van. It can be rough on the road. For those of us among the unsigned, every show is a gamble. What if you don’t make enough at the venue for shelter…
Hugh Hefner’s Fiancee: 11 Things That Are Older Than Her
You know what is messed up and completely awesome? Hugh Hefner was 60 years old when his current fiancee, Crystal Harris, was born. Hef was hatched on April 9, 1926, and six decades and 20 days later his soon-to-be bride was born in Lake Havasu, Arizona. The best part of…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Great Food Houston: Former EOW blogger Ruthie Johnson posts on her personal…
The Five Most Sex Offender-Riddled Zip Codes In Houston
We’ll get to our list of the five zip codes with the most sex offenders in Houston, but first let’s discuss other areas of note. Outside of one of the zips in the list that follows, the area with the most sex offenders inside the loop is zip code 77009,…
The New Development Near Montrose & Westheimer, For Your Approval
The storefronts across from Ruggles near the uber-Houston intersection of Westheimer & Montrose — the buildings that include the fabled, lamented Felix Restaurant — are getting a makeover. Not an inspiring makeover, if the artist’s renderings obtained by Swamplot are any indication. It looks like the style is Generic Suburban…
Comment of the Day: The Doc and the Gazelle
Today Geri Maria Harris reported on the Twiga Terrace Restaurant in the zoo’s new African Forest. And Doc Ricky had some ideas he thinks would work better than Twiga’s veggie burgers and three-cheese sandwiches: Nice to have an African theme, but why doesn’t it extend to the food? Perfect time…
Unidentified Female Baby, Bayou Body Count No. 298
An abandoned baby was found dead in a Dumpster on the southeast side this morning, police say. The baby’s gender was not released was female, and further investigation is ongoing. The body was discovered in an apartment complex in the 4400 block of South Shaver late this morning, police say…
Stretch That Dining Dollar: Eat Fancy at Lunch
At Da Marco, as I ate the last, sweet bites of my antelope paillard — the barely gamy meat pounded thin and just slightly crispy at the edges, draped with caramelized peppers and finished off with a beautiful mound of fluffy whipped potatoes — a thought briefly hit my mind:…
Head Butt, Theater Style: God of Carnage vs. West Side Story
Talk about opening night jitters. January 12 will be opening night for both God of Carnage at the Alley Theatre and (a few blocks over) for the revitilized English-Spanish national tour of West Side Story brought to the Hobby Center by Gexa Energy/Broadway Across America. Normally, head-to-head opening nights don’t…
Top 10 Worst Top 10 Lists Of 2010
Now that’s a headline, ladies and germs. It has the added benefit of being succinct as well. That’s exactly what we’re summing up here, the worst Top 10 lists our peers have written this year. Let’s get started, as we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. 10. This One…
Port Arthur Police Experience Their Very Own “I’ll Be Back” Moment
Terminator – I’ll Be Back | Movies & TV | SPIKE.comThe above clip is actual security-cam footage from the Port Arthur Police Department Sunday night. Or it could be, let’s put it that way. The Port Arthur News reports that a 53-year-old man drove his vehicle right into the lobby…
Gelatin Clarified Stock
This week, I’m making good on a promise and discussing gelatin clarification. While gelatin filtration — the use of gelatin to clarify and concentrate flavorful liquids from a dizzying assortment of sources — isn’t exactly new, it’s also not something with which most home cooks are familiar. That’s a shame,…
“SEC Guy” Takes On Oregon Duck Callers, Hilarity Ensues
The South shall rise again, OregoniansLance Zierlein of 1560 The Game has already been honored by our Best of Houston judges for co-hosting the Best Sports Talk Radio Show in the city; the guy’s a genius in coming up with running characters and doing impressions. SEC Guy is, let’s say,…
The Most Anticipated Albums Of 2011
NATIONAL White Lies, Ritual: They killed at festivals in 2008 and 2009, but do London’s Interpol-styled lads have longevity? Dr. Dre, Detox: It’s been on hold or gestating since at least Clinton was in office. Will it continue to be hip-hop’s Chinese Democracy? R.E.M., Collapse Into Now: The band hasn’t…
A Weekly Tip from Your Friendly Server
After declining a New Year’s Eve party invitation due to conflicts with my work schedule, I was asked if I was in the medical field, to which I replied, “I administer a lot of wine to the public, so yes, in a way, it’s like anesthesiology.” I work in a…
Fox’s Million-Dollar Ripoff
The website for Million Dollar Money Drop asks the question, “If you and a friend were handed a million dollars in cash and only had to answer a few simple questions to keep it, could you do it?” But in light of recent events, “Will the Fox Network let you…
Halliburton Sued For Firing Pregnant Employee
We’ve written a lot about lawsuits against Halliburton/KBR, mostly involving horror stories coming from employees in Iraq. But the latest is from a Dallas woman, Lynda Darden, who is suing because, she says, the company fired her for getting pregnant. She is represented by Houston attorney Todd Kelly, who represents…
“Auld Lang Syne,” In All Its Many Colors
Harry: What does this song mean? My whole life, I don’t know what this song means. “Should old acquaintance be forgot” – does that mean we should forget old acquaintances, or if we happen to forget them, that we should remember them, which is not possible because we’ve already forgotten…
Trying Roasted Chestnuts
Roasted chestnuts were the first course for a beer dinner I attended the other night at the Alamo Drafthouse at the West Oaks Mall, which was pretty cool, but even better is that the event was also attended by Peter Billingsley. They were served with sparkling wine and piping hot…
Texans Tailgating: Fans Sue After Getting In Fight
On December 28, 2008, the Houston Texans and their fans were gearing up for the final game of the season at Reliant Stadium. After starting 3-7, the team had won four of five games and a win against the visiting Chicago Bears would mean 8-8. Not a losing record. Hope…
Rice Art Program Hopes to Raise University’s Aesthetic Profile
Quick: when you think about visual art, which Houston university comes to mind? Hint: It’s probably not the one known for its engineering students. The University of Houston is the city’s undisputed arts leader, with its own 40-year-old public art program and the Blaffer Museum, which, gallery no more, is…
Ann Huey: Beaumont Artist Makes Funny Short Film That Almost Makes You Want To Visit
Beaumont — a/k/a The Poor Man’s Houston — has image problems that puts Houston to shame. Which is nice if you’re from Houston. It’s always good to have someone to look down upon. But like any ridiculed city, Beaumont does have its charms. And now, thanks to local artist Ann…
The Houston Zoo Gets a New African Forest Café
Hungry zoo-goers now have a new, and decidedly better, option to satisfy their tummy rumblings. I recently got a sneak peak of the Twiga Terrace Restaurant that opened in the brand-new African Forest section of the zoo. The African Forest is a huge expansion that allows guests to take a…
Why a Fire Gary Kubiak Rally is a Bad Idea
Seems like a lot of folks are down right pissed at Gary Kubiak these days. Texans owner Bob McNair doesn’t appear to be among them, but our latest Death Watch has the poor guy on his last legs here and fans on sports talk shows are calling for his head…
The Best (Or Worst) Anti-Drug PSAs
I have always been of the mind that according to our society’s standards, it’s cool to be a drug addict or a drunk as long as you’re rich, sexy, and don’t kill yourself in the process. But even then if you kill yourself you become a golden god. That’s why…
East Coast Oysters for $1 at The Oceanaire
Displayed prominently on the web header for The Oceanaire is a quote from Leonard Beck (who?), “To eat an oyster is to kiss the ocean on the lips,” another sensual metaphor for a mollusk long believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac. The connection between oysters and sex goes back thousands…
Upcoming: Glassjaw, Mike Watt, Too Short, Etc.
D.R.I, Death Angel, Lazarus A.D., Early Man: Sun., Feb. 13. Numbers. Electric Touch, The Manichean, Jody Seabody & The Whirls: Fri., Jan. 7. Fitzgerald’s. Glassjaw: Sun., Feb. 20. Warehouse Live. Joe Pug: Fri., April 1. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck. Jon Black, ilL Liad, Kyle Hubbard, Jody Seabody & The Whirls: Sat.,…
Unidentified Female, Bayou Body Count No. 297
A woman was found dead from “an apparent laceration to the head” out on Telephone Road Christmas Eve, Houston police say. The body was discovered by a passer-by about 7:20 p.m. and the victim, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene. There are no known…
Affiliated Soldierz Explain Longevity In The Rap Game
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted…
Pie, Dirt and Pimento Cheese: Food Trends for 2011
Back in October, Nation’s Restaurant News released their annual list of predicted food trends for 2011. Some items were already cresting the horizon here in Houston two months ago: high-end junk food, one-dish restaurants, fancy hot dogs. Others are still on the road, yet to reach the Bayou City, but…
The Houston Register: New Copycat on the Block?
New life has been detected in Houston’s print magazine scene in the form of The Houston Register, a new venture from the publishers of Envy that aims to cover “the convivial crowd – the shakers, diners, movers, drinkers, the people that make this city great.” HR got major first-impression points…
Gary Kubiak: Three Questions To Be Answered Without The Same Tired Script
The only thing that has become more predictable than the Houston Texans’ collective performance each Sunday (or random Monday or Thursday) is Gary Kubiak’s weekly “day after game” press conference, not surprising since the content for the latter is a direct descendant of the former. The same maddeningly suicidal result…
Comment Of The Day: Strip Club Dangers
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Five Great 2010 Albums Lonesome Onry And Mean Forgot
Other than it just being a form of lazy journalism, one reason LOM hates making best-of lists is that there are always items that we forgot about, or considered but felt like they just barely didn’t make it somehow. Then we wish we had included them. Here are a few…
Top 5 Food Resolutions
I’ve never been big on New Year’s Resolutions, especially when it comes to food and dieting. You’ll find none of that on my Top 5. 5. Keep Houston Weird In 2009, I ate lamb testicles in Oklahoma City. In 2010, I ate pig ears in Denver. In 2011, I want…
Top Five: The Year in Architecture and Design
2010 brought a bit of neighborhood controversy, new players in education, hot trends and a welcome restoration project to Houston. These were the highlights. 5. The Lake-Flato HEB Look, Montrose, we miss the Wilshire Village apartments, too, and wish some kind soul had made the economically unwise decision to fix…
Wangcaster Rules: Rocks Off’s Top 10 Stories Of 2010
It’s been a wild and crazy year. And while we’re still wrapping up some of our personal favorite stories of 2010, Rocks Off throughout we’d take a look at the Top 10 most-read stories of the most recent solar rotation. Relive the magic with our links below… 10. Note To…
Ingredient of the Week: Thai Red Rice
What is it? There are several varieties of red rice. This particular bag, as far as I can tell, is just a medium grain rice with a red bran on the outside instead of brown. It is nuttier, sweeter and a bit chewier than white rice and contains more nutrients…
One Guy’s Remaining Thoughts On 2010
As we head into the New Year, I thought I would look back at some of the things in 2010 for which I’m thankful, sports, and non-sports. 1. ESPN’s 30 For 30. ESPN does a lot of things wrong, i.e. the Brett Favre lovefest, The Decision, Colin Cowherd, Craig James…
The Perils Of Adolescence
I’m sure you’ve been busy with your familial obligations this past week, but just in case you missed the Big News, Miley Cyrus has gone and done it again: Racy new photos of Miley Cyrus were leaked online last night including a shot of her assistant pretending to lick Miley’s…
It’s Good To Be Old(er)
I’m sure you’ve been busy with your familial obligations this past week, but just in case you missed the Big News, Miley Cyrus has gone and done it again: Racy new photos of Miley Cyrus were leaked online last night including a shot of her assistant pretending to lick Miley’s…
30 Seconds With Robert Ellis
Rocks Off sat down with Robert Ellis to see what we could learn about the singer-songwriter, 2010 Houston Press Best Country award winner and in-demand guitarist in 30 seconds… Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Robert Ellis: “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” by Drowning Pool…
The Nine Most Annoying Types of Sports Radio Callers
Hair Balls likes to listen to sports radio. We aren’t exactly sure why, but we do. We’ve got a bunch of stations to choose from in Houston, which gives us lots of opportunities to hear interviews, analysis and banter, some good, some bad, about all things sports. As syndicated host…
Where Are We Drinking?
A pool table and some long neck beers, hazy windows and boozy customers. It’s all good here, at one of Houston’s best dive bars in town. Think you know where we’re shooting pool drinking this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Dulce Nava-Cardenas: Sells $150 Sex To 16-Year-Old Boy
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, well, plenty of creatures were stirring in the house in this story… … Police in Edinburg say that in the wee hours of December 24, a Valley dad walked in on his 16-year-old son and Dulce Liliana Nava-Cardenas, the 35-year-old…
Jonathan Foster, 12: Have You Seen Him?
Texas Equusearch is looking hard for a 12-year-old boy who went missing from North Shepherd and 43rd Street Christmas Eve. No one seems too sure about wha’t’s happened to Jonathan Foster, but he went missing, his mom received a mysterious phone call at work, and nothing else has been heard…
The Holiday In Photos
For people with extended families and extenuating circumstances, the Christmas holiday isn’t officially over yet. But we decided to dig into the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of holiday imagery our photogs captured this season. Interestingly (and perhaps thankfully), not one dog wearing antlers. Happy New Year…
Comment of the Day: Beans, Part 2
Fatty FatBastard has been raging about beans and chili, on Eating Our Words and elsewhere, and in doing so, he has made today more entertaining. He even jumped on an unrelated post by Nicholas Hall, about chicken-fried steak, to ask this: “You sure it wouldn’t have been better if you…
KTRU: No. 1 Local Music Story Of The Year
Rocks Off has been counting down the top local music stories of the year. Before this came the Lightnin’ Hopkins historical marker, Meridian imbroglio, Fitzgerald’s sale and Trae vs. The Box. Rocks Off wrote a lot of words about Rice University’s pending sale of KTRU (91.7 FM) to the University…
A Domino’s Convert
Trust me, I am a champion of the SLGT movement. In fact, for my family’s tradition of eating pizza on Christmas Eve I really tried to support local so that we could all grow together. So I called Daddy-O’s and Lazaro’s, and as the phone rang and rang, I soon…
Texas Bowl: Two Very Different Views Of Houston From Illinois
If you’re not a Baylor alum, you might not yet have caught Texas Bowl Fever, but you will, you will. Baylor and Illinois are in town for the Wednesday game at Reliant, and that means, in the case of Illinois at least, fresh impressions of Houston. Judging from today’s papers,…
Steve Francis’ Very Brief Chinese Basketball Career Is Over
Former Houston Rocket favorite Steve Francis’ brief career as a Chinese basketballer is over, apparently in part because he was caught on TV giving the finger to a referee. He had signed with the Chinese league this year but had been squabbling with coaches over playing time. One report says…
What a Crock: Spicy Black-Eyed Peas
Nothing says Happy New Year’s like a bowl of black-eyed peas, and there’s not a better way to prepare them than in a crock pot. The run down Before you roll your eyes and completely dismiss eating black-eyed peas this holiday season, take a gander at this recipe. It’s got…
Teach For America: TEA Undertakes Audit
The Texas Education Agency has until January 31 to submit a report to the Texas Legislature that asks whether the much lauded Teach for America is doing much good for the low-income students in Texas. The Lege allocated TFA $8 million over last year and this year and it wants…
All I Want For Christmas Is Food Poisoning
Christmas is over, but indulging in its confectionary delights might have left some with quite a foul aftertaste from an unwanted case of food poisoning. Whole Foods and the U.S. FDA have issued a recall for gingerbread houses produced by Rolf’s Patisserie and sold at Whole Foods after November 1,…
The 10 Biggest Houston Stories Of The Year
There are still a couple days left for earthshaking stories to take place in 2010. But since most news is bad news, let’s hope the worst is over. What were the top 10 news stories in Houston in 2010? We’re so glad you asked, since we’ve worked up a list…
Share Your Christmas Gifts With Us! (Not Literally, Though)
Long before I ever started writing about food, I always had a copy of Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking at my desk. Yes, even when I worked in human resources. Along with two thesauruses, Webster’s dictionary, The National Geographic Desk Reference, The A-Z of Art, the Food Lover’s Companion…
Houston’s Best Gifts To The Music World
Ed. Note: Rocks Off is still in a holiday frame of mind… actually we meant to post this before Christmas, but they’re just as true now. No refunds, no exchanges. Here is Craig’s Hlist point of view: Houston has given so much to the world, from ZZ Top, Jandek, Beyonce…
Art Attack’s Most Popular Stories of 2010 (So Far)
Art Attack is the new kid on the blog around here. In late summer, the Houston Press added an arts and culture blog that since its inception has been a repository for internet trends, theater reviews, movie-related rants and general entertainment. Below, we list the 10 most-read stories from the…
Crystina Becerra: Penthouse Club Stripper Wanted After Putting Two Patrons In Hospital
In an altercation that put us in mind of Jerome Ponette, it all started with a squabble between two strippers over something one of them likely believed the other had stolen. Before it was all over, two men would be writhing in pain in the parking lot of a Southwest…
Top 10 Houston Rap Albums Of 2010
This, as you’ve (hopefully) read, was a standout year for Houston rap. In addition to the shuffling that went on at the tip-top of the food chain (Bun, Slim, Trae, Paul, Cham, Z-Ro, Devin and even Lil’ Flip all moved spots on the Name The Best, Most Important Houston Rappers…
Brew Blog: Sam Adams Infinium
I was intrigued when I heard that the Boston Beer Company, maker of the Sam Adams line of beers, is collaborating with one of the world’s oldest breweries. Their goal: to create a brand new beer style, bounded by the strictures of the Reinheitsgebot. The Reinheitsgebot is a German beer-purity…
Health Dept. Roundup
Santa opened a can of bureaucratic whoop-ass on several eateries last week, and we bring them to you now on Health Department Roundup: New King Palace Chinese Restaurant (18315 Tomball Pkwy.) racked up 20 violations after a complaint forced a December 21 inspection. That visit found food not being stored…
Wildflower Season Will Suck This Year, Experts Say
Any Texan with a kid or a sweetie has taken part in the annual trek to see bluebonnets and other wildflowers bloom riotously in what passes for spring here. If you were getting your hopes up about Spring 2011, tamp them down right now. The long and extensive drought that’s…
Gorillaz’s New Album Includes Song About Houston
Christmas morning, Rocks Off got to hear the new Gorillaz album, The Fall, recorded entirely on an iPad by leader Damon Albarn as the super-group made their way through the States on tour this past October. Most every city on the run got a song dedicated to it, including Texas…
American History as Told by Drunk Americans
Let’s face it. It’s a short workweek and you’re still nursing a tryptophan hangover. In celebration of the inevitable lack of productivity and procrastination that is the holidays, we present Drunk History. The award-winning series of digital shorts, created by Derek Waters, features lessons in history, as told by highly…
NASA’s Astronomy Picture Of The Day: 2010’s Ten Best
For 15 years now, NASA has been putting out an Astronomy Picture of the Day, picking whatever hits their fancy from the archives or new stuff coming in from up above. Here are ten of the best they posted this year. 10. Atlantis takes off In the early morning hours…
Republic’s Jalapeno-Lime Spirit Blend: Make Your Own Spicy Margarita at Home
Love it or hate it, I happen to like Chuy’s quite a bit. Even when the line is long, even when it’s full of screaming children and drunk college students. Just grab a seat at the bar and suddenly both the wait and the commotion are distant memories in the…
Terry Reid, Nearly Led Zeppelin’s Singer, Resurfaces At Leon’s
Who Dat? When Jimmy Page began to put together his New Yardbirds, he scoured the British scene looking for the right vocalist. Eventually, Page offered the job in his new band — now called Led Zeppelin — to Terry Reid. Reid, who quit school at 15 and had played at…
Slideshow: 19th Annual Jugetes Para el Barrio
A caravan of lowriders headed out from Shorty’s Hydraulics Shop Christmas morning to deliver toys to underprivileged children for the 19th annual Jugetes Para el Barrio (Toys for the Neighborhood). The Latin Fantasy Lowrider Car Club gave away close to 4,000 goodie bags to families. You only need to see…
Wine of the Week: Cupcake Prosecco
While the cupcake may be one of the most persistent and overdone baking trends of the last few years, people jaded by the tiny confection should be open-minded toward the brand of wines sharing the same name. Last week, I sampled the Biltmore Sparkling Blanc de Blancs with pleasing results,…
Texans Hype: Our Sad Gullibility, As Told By Five Cover Illustrations
The owners of NFL teams have been proven right: The Texans are oh-so-close to winning. Which is just another way of saying the Texans are chronic losers, we guess. The 2010 season has been a bitter disappointment for fans, and it’s difficult to see the team winning support back without…
Bun B Resolves To Really Grind In 2011
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn’t a national holiday, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Bun B, Lil Flip, Killa Kyleon, K-Rino, H-Kane, Kyle Hubbard, Renzo, Brad Gilmore Not Invited: 2010 This Week’s…
Slideshow: Christmas Eve Air Jordan Release Party
Sneakerheads lined up at the Galleria last week for the Christmas Eve release of the new Air Jordan Cool Grey XI. The kids in the above photo had been waiting since 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. As Mars Blackmon famously said, “I’s gotta be the shoes!” Check out the slideshow…
Strake Jesuit Sued: Man Says He Donated $40K And His Son Still Wasn’t Admitted
A Strake Jesuit alumnus gave $40,000 to the school in the belief it would get his son admitted, but the school took the cash and not the kid, according to a lawsuit filed in district court. Michael Bardwil is suing the school for fraud, and exposing the heavy hand elite…
If Your Life Were A Movie, Which Song Would Be The Trailer?
It started as a whim on Twitter, asking friends what songs would soundtrack the trailer of the movie of their life. Would their life’s tale be a rollicking drug-fueled, love-filled adventure backed by the Rolling Stones’ “Jumping Jack Flash”, or would it be a morose and somber drifting story with…
Mango Ice at Amy’s
I grew up in Northern Indiana, and I have a love-hate relationship with Houston weather. It’s not just the oppressive, sticky, blanketing heat of summer that rubs me the wrong way, it’s also the near utter lack of a winter. I miss snowy Decembers and layer upon layer of cold-weather…
Nicki Minaj Strangely Attracted To Dinosaur Sweaters
Lately, two figures completely dominate the Rocks Off blog. One is Allyson Townsend, whose battle to bring pop music to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community has her scheduled to make an appearance as Diane Sawyer’s “Person of the Week” on ABC’s World News Tonight. The other towering figure…
Cheeto Sunday Funday
A good friend of mine and I created a tradition sometime ago that we call Cheeto Sunday. It’s a simple premise: You eat Cheetos on Sunday. It’s a fun tradition that we have enjoyed for some time now. Lately, though, I have noticed Cheetos appearing in restaurant food items, which…
Houston Aeros Prove That Stars Don’t Always Shine Over Texas
The Aeros know how Steve Martin feltIt’s probably safe to say that the AHL hates the Houston Aeros. Or rather, the schedule-makers hate the Aeros. Along with playing a frightening number of three-games-in-three-nights, the Aeros have also had to deal with the month of December, in which the AHL eagerly…
Broncos & Tim Tebow 24, Texans 23: If You’re Disappointed, You’re Not Thinking Big Picture
In and of itself, Sunday’s collapse against Denver is virtually the same story that has played out countless other times over the past two seasons for the Texans. Yet the franchise has never been this close to finally breaking through. In seven days, the nightmare that is 2010 comes to…
Comment Of The Day: Last Word On The Grinch
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Where Are We Eating?
If deep-fried shrimp heads don’t give away this establishment, then perhaps the delicate arrangement and special salts will. Any guesses on where we’re not wasting a single part of these delicious shrimp this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Rudy Erik Candia: Facebook, Lunar Eclipse Used To Woo 12-Year-old West U Boy. (Allegedly)
Late on the night of December 20, 12-year-old Alex (not his real name) asked his dad if he could go meet a friend and watch the lunar eclipse from the parking lot of a Med Center oil-change joint. His dad told him no. The West U family was leaving town…
The Week In TV: Justified‘s Back, and Pee-Wee (We Hope)
Santa brought the same thing he does every year: reruns of It’s a Wonderful Life and The Sound of Music. This was the (very light) week in TV Land: • Justified, one of the best new dramas of the year, has finally set a premiere date for its second season:…
Need Beer On Christmas Day? What’s Open
Our sister blog Eating…Our Words is full of service-y goodness, listing all the places you can go to eat in Houston this Christmas Day. But by this point in the day, you may be realizing a more pressing need: Beer. Yeah, relatives are great and all, but not when you’re…
Comment of the Day: Beans and Chili
It’s official. Whenever the subject of beans and chili comes up, things get heated, fast, even in a post about “Yankee Chili.” Commenter Christopher was particularly passionate: I’ve had chili sans beans–not a fan. To me, chili has to be hearty and thick, and cubed beef in hot sauce is…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where Santa leaves coal in our stockings because we have charcoal-burning slow cookers and that’s what we ask him for. It might also have to do with that time back in August when we sucker-punched a hobo. We started…
Merry Christmas and 4 WTF Questions About Christmas Specials (w/ video)
First, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas (or Festivus or Hanukkah or whatever you celebrate this time of year)! It’s definitely a time to be thankful, and I want to use this space to thank everyone who clicks on my stuff here on Hair Balls…
The CFS at Avalon Diner
When, at 12:30 one day last week, my wife announced that she simply had to have breakfast somewhere, I began wracking my brain for options. Avalon Diner popped into my head. It’s only a few blocks from my house, serves breakfast all day, and is awesome. While my wife and…
Comment Of The Day: Loving Houston
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Ann O’Donnell: UH Police Lose An Officer In The Line Of Duty
It’s a sad day at the University of Houston Department of Public Safety, which for the first time has lost an officer in the line of duty. Ann O’Donnell, who had been with UH Department of Public Safety a little over a year, was killed in a one-car crash as…
Vid Picks: Best Videos of the Year (Part Two)
5. 14 Actors Acting – James Franco The whole country is in love with James Franco. Yes, we all know he’s a genius and has about 14 degrees from the best schools in the US. But what makes us love him even more is this video of him seducing himself:…
Dipping Fries into a Milkshake?
In post a couple weeks ago about the new fries at Wendy’s a commenter asked how they tasted dipped into a Frosty. That got my memory churning about a discussion I had with my wife once about my time-honored tradition of taking a salty, piping-hot French fry and dunking it…
Vid Picks: Best Videos of the Year (Part One)
It was a challenge to pick our favorites after watching thousands of videos this year and loving at least a couple hundred. YouTube grew up in 2010 and saw its first major museum exhibition at none other than the Guggenheim. As we chose our favorite videos of the year, we…
Top Ten Celebrities This Decade Who Overcame Controversy
Celebrities have money and fame and are constantly surrounded by controversy. Many of them never make it back from a serious legal problem or a major embarrassment. Ask Mel Gibson. Others, however, find their footing and manage to right the ship before going under. Some do it behind the strength…
Bartender Chat: Bridget Paliwoda of Community Bar
I’ve known Bridget Paliwoda of Community Bar (2703 Smith St) for about a year, since the time she started working there. And as often as I have been to Community, I have never seen her in a bad mood. I once witnessed her asking an out-of-control bar guest to vacate…
Last Minute Christmas Shopping: Experience the Madness!
We’ve all done it at some time or another. Waiting until the very last minute to brave the crowds at Highland Village or the Galleria. As we heard someone say, it’s not so bad if you just suck it up and expect it to be a hassle. We sent our…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata
This week I sat down and chatted with Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner, the new chef at Kata Robata. I also sampled some of the new menu additions. I’ve always loved Kata Robata, but Siegel-Gardner is bringing some seriously elegant food to Houston. We started off the meal with a lovely Japanese…
Vid Picks: The Year in Memes and Movies
While we work on our own list of Top Videos of the Year on YouTube, we wanted to share a couple year-end compilation videos with you. In the clip above, Klick!, an online marketing company, very cleverly demonstrates viral marketing with a compilation of the most memorable memes and viral…
The Ten Oddest Crimes Of 2010, Southeast Texas Style
Hard as it may be to believe, the criminal element of Southeast Texas did dumb and weird things in 2010, continuing a tradition that dates back to the creation of Southeast Texas. Here are ten of the oddest and dumbest: 10. Two former EMS employees in Santa Fe were arrested…
Merry Christmas From Rocks Off
Rocks Off polled our staff for their favorite Christmas songs to create a playlist for you to enjoy while you open presents, drink egg nog, or however else you celebrate. Enjoy. Editor’s Pick: U2, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”: Neph Basedow: Pedro the Lion, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas…
Top 5 Uses for Holiday Leftovers
The holidays are awesome. Everybody makes their best dish, which usually leaves enough food left over for a small army. Rather than continuing to gorge yourself on reheated, plain-old leftovers, here are some ways to help gobble up what’s left. 5. Make it with beans – Although this only really…
Texas Piano Players: A Legacy (Part Two)
The piano has a long history of being the instrument of choice for creative Texas musicians. In Texas Piano Players: A Legacy (Part 1) we described the commonality of a piano in most homes throughout Texas at the beginning of the 20th century and profiled Texas-born pianists ‘Moon’ Mullican and…
Openings & Closings
First things first. It doesn’t seem like any kind of loving and righteous God would do this to us, but Cheese Berry Asian Pizza (9888 Bellaire) has closed. What kind of world is this?! While there are still a few other fusion pizza places around town, where else are we…
The 10 Best Music Videos Of 2010
The following should be heard in Ray Liotta’s voice for maximum effect: As far back as we can remember, we always wanted to be a VJ. We grew up with MTV, and until we had to break it off after we found the channel hoing around with a pack of…
Dear Mr. Santa: A Houston Sports Fan’s List
Dear Mr. Santa…Dear Mr. Claus: I know it is Christmas Eve, and maybe I’m a bit late with sending this little note to you, but I’m sure that with this newfangled internets thing you’ll get it in time. I’m also aware that I might have been a bit naughty, and…
Walmart Wants to Be Friends on Facebook
Although Texas has weathered the economic downturn better than most states, that’s small consolation to those residents still unable to feed their families. According to research published by the Food Research and Action Center earlier this year, Texas has the 13th-highest rate of food hardship in the United States (with…
Houston Musicians Don’t Take The Holidays Off
Unsure how to keep up with all that local music news during the holidays? Fear not, Rocks Off makes it a point to mine those Internets each week, bringing the finest recap of Houston’s musical cyber-territories. It’s full of win, as they say, and our holiday gift to everyone out…
Odd Pair: Candy Canes & Pink Catawba
Christmas is nearly here, and I know you all are desperately searching for a wine to pair with your favorite edible Christmas decoration: candy canes! Look no further, dear readers, because after sampling many, many wines while simultaneously licking on peppermint sticks, I have found the perfect combination: candy canes…
Houston Rap Year-End Odds And Ends
We’re seven days away from the beginning of the New Year. Let’s make sure we go in there clean, shall we? Time to dump out the mailbag: First, stay tuned for our Top 10 Houston Rap Albums of the Year, coming Monday. Iceberg Slim of Screwheads Only traded emails with…
Animal Abuse: The Five Worst Houston Examples In 2010
Humans: Will you ever learn?We like to think that animal abusers will not only get a lump of coal from Santa this time of year, but a pitchfork-in-the-ass from the Other Guy in Red as well. For those of you who like to keep tabs on just how low the…
Week in Photos: The Holiday Edition
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. This week, we look at the cute, the tacky, the heartwarming holiday photos from 2010. As always, for more information on a subject or photographer, just click on…
Awkward Price is Right Videos! Merry Christmas!
If we can all agree that the four major sports in this country are baseball, football, basketball, and hockey (sorry Dynamo fans), then I’d like to take a moment just to make an analogy on the marketing and strategic direction of each sport. Let’s use a language that any movie-watching…
Lee Alexander Recording Zappa-Inspired Children’s Album
Lee Alexander remains one of Houston’s most celebrated musicians. He is currently the best male vocalist in the city, but the list of accolades he has acquired over the years goes far beyond mere singing talent. After years composing and performing adult-oriented music, Alexander has decided to pursue the production…
Christmas Puppies: Five Great Surprise Videos
Every kid wants a puppy, right? And Santa knows this, correct? So puppies make perfect Christmas gifts. You have to know how to do the presentation, of course. And film it. Here are five great videos of kids’ puppy-Christmas wishes coming true: 5. Let’s Torture The Kids First Like every…
Upcoming Events
Happy Christmas Eve, everyone! Just a reminder that if you haven’t made dinner plans for tonight, there are still plenty of Houston restaurants open. B4-U-Eat has a terrific list, complete with menus, but just heading over to Chinatown is also a good bet (and generally a lot cheaper, too). With…
Weed In Texas: The Top Seven Stories Of The Year
It’s been a decent year for potheads. So what if Prop 19 didn’t pass in California, because medical marijuana laws, even in places outside that dirty hippy state, expanded. This year ends with two more states, Arizona and New Jersey, along with Washington, D.C., allowing possession for medicinal purposes. In…
Comment of the Day: Rat Kroger Edition
Turns out, you guys feel passionately about your Inner Loop Krogers. We can debate various monikers all day long — Posh versus MILF Kroger, etc. But HOPEFULLY only one of you has the nickname for the Kroger on W. Gray that commenter Knittingreader does: We live in between Disco and…
Top 5 Must-Haves in a Killer Wine Bar
Call it my wine bar intuition. Sometimes, a place just doesn’t sit right with me. Lately I’ve been thinking about why that is. Generating a successful wine bar means much more than meeting the general requirements of wine service, such as knowledgeable staff and proper storage. Qualifications for an excellent…
Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 296
The body of a dead man was found in front of an abandoned house outside of downtown Wednesday morning, and police suspect foul play. The unidentified victim was discovered about 10 a.m. Wednesday in the 2300 block of Nagle. Police say he had “suffered apparent blunt force trauma to the…
More Rex Ryan, the Ryan Leaf Trilogy & NFL Best Bets
Two more shopping days left. I need money. You need money. So let’s get to winning. And by winning let’s find a way to weave more Rex Ryan “foot fetish” talk into a handicapping discussion. Can we do this? (Can we touch them? Can we smell them?) I think we…
Good Food at Bad Restaurants
I’m not talking about bad restaurants as in “that dumpy place down by the shipping lanes that Uncle Johnnie once saw a rat in” or “that place charges $50 a person and looks down their noses at you while they serve boring hotel food.” I’m talking about places you eat…
Houston Music’s People Of The Year
Editor’s Pick: Grandfather Child. It was a good year for the blues all around – the Black Keys’ well-deserved radio breakthrough with Brothers; Lightnin’ Hopkins’ long-overdue historical marker in Third Ward – but Lucas Gorham’s crew is a razor-sharp reminder that the best blues is dangerous and unpredictable, as threatening…
Top Five: Indie Video Games for 2011
The Witness Platform: “To be released on multiple platforms — whatever makes sense in late 2011” Though the two games are obviously drastically different from each other, The Witness is going to be measured against 2008’s critically-acclaimedBraid. The two share nothing in common except that they’re both the work of…
Air Jordan Frenzy: Say What Now? Five Possible Explanations
Huge crowds jammed Houston stores today looking to buy the latest version of the Air Jordan sneaker. Cops were called out to handle some unruliness connected with having a chance to purchase the $175 Air Jordan 11 Retro sneaker. Hundreds of people lined up in the hours before stores opened…
R.I.P.: Notable Passings Of 2010
Editor’s Pick: Dio, man. Neph Basedow: 2010 commenced on a sad note with the passing of Memphis garage rocker Jay Reatard (aka Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr.). I’d seen him play a tiny show at Chicago’s Empty Bottle in 2008 and still consider it one of the best shows I’ve ever…
Shiftwork Bites: Yankee Chili
This just might prove to be my last Shiftwork Bites column. Not because I’m going to stop cooking at work, but because I might be forced to stop writing about food in Texas, or living in it, for that matter. You see, I’m kind of a Yankee. Let that one…
The Best New Tumblr Accounts of 2010
Tumblr was our favorite place to go in 2010 to look for pictures of Katy Perry, Star Wars crap, Lady Gaga’s ass, knives, Christina Hendricks looking pretty, dead rock stars, disposable memes, and random half-naked tattooed girls. It’s a magical community of mini-blogs that don’t require any thought or deep…
50 Reasons To Love Houston, And We Mean It
Living in Houston is not always something that’s universally admired by the rest of the country, not to mention the world. Pollution, flatness, humidity — we know, we know. But in the cheerful spirit of Christmas, we at the Press want to point out 50 things that make us happy…
Food Fight: Battle French Onion Soup
Every now and then, the temperature actually falls below 75 degrees, and when it does, I start getting in the mood for some French onion soup. This battle pits two places (Croissant Brioche and Au Petit Paris) that are within minutes of one another. Special thanks to commenter CMN for…
Trae Vs. The Box: No. 2 Local Music Story Of 2010
Rocks Off is counting down the Top 5 local music stories of 2010 this week. We have already covered Lightnin’ Hopkins, Meridian and Fitzgerald’s. In 2008, eight people were shot at Trae Day, a day sanctioned by the City of Houston to honor rapper Trae tha Truth’s philanthropic work with…
TCEQ Gets Slammed: Feds Take Powers Away From Texas’ Air-Pollution “Watchdog”
Is an agency a “watchdog” when it doesn’t watch? Apparently the feds don’t think so. In a bold move today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it was taking over the job of issuing greenhouse-gas permits in Texas because the Texas Council on Environmental Quality was utterly failing to do its…
Top Five: Best DIY Productions of 2010
Sometimes it comes down to one person to pull off a show. She may be a visionary, or a workhorse, or as simply a relentless recruiter of friends and unsuspecting collaborators. Several of Houston’s most significant arts events in 2010 were small-scale, planned in kitchens and garages, and mounted by…
The 12 Best Mugshots Of 2010
Here’s a dozen of the creepiest, funniest, fugliest, and weirdest mugshots of 2010. Enjoy them, but know this: there but the grace of God and a too-wild night could go you. 12. Randolph Caldwell…
The Best Food Photos of 2010
I don’t have children, so this analogy is about to make a lot less sense. But choosing photos for the Best Food Photos of 2010 slideshow was like trying to pick a favorite child. (I think.) Regardless, it was difficult. Ever since we’ve started running slideshows with our weekly cafe…
Top Five: 2010 Miracles that Won’t Make Anyone a Believer
Here’s the way our warped minds work–call it the pop-culture-heavy version of the over-egg-nogged and sleep-deprived, presented via stream of consciousness: the holidays…nativity scenes…Jewish Larry David eating baby Jesus from the cookie nativity his Christian wife made on Curb Your Enthusiasm…nativities made from food…Mary appearing on, toast was it? Yes,…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata
EOW recently spoke with Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata. Yesterday, we learned about pop-up restaurants and what British people like to eat. Today we continue our chat. EOW: You worked in London for a year and now you’re back in Houston and working at a fantastic restaurant. And after sampling…
The Top WTF Moments Of The Year
Editor’s Pick: WTF doesn’t have to mean “bad,” you know. About a week ago – a week exactly, as a matter of fact – En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” came on the PA at Fitzgerald’s. I have been in a musical fog for a few months, where nothing was really…
Comment Of The Day: Don’t Overestimate Ted Nugent
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Almost Christmas Eve Congee
On a recent post about pho ga, the Vietnamese chicken soup, I made mention of a Chow.com graph that has predicted 2011 to be the year of congee (with regard to Asian comfort food dishes). Later on, reader Sunkneelion made the request: “Article on congee, please!” Sunkneelion, this article’s for…
Remember Eskabel’s Pep Talk?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Eskabel Pep Talk (Black Shark, 2010) Eskabel, the Missouri City spitfire MC who’s just as likely to pick a…
For Unique, Last-Minute Gifts, Try the Russian Cultural Center’s Holiday Bazaar
Quick, log on to ourtexas.com. A site devoted to Texana, you might assume, in the “Texas, Our Texas,” mold, right? Not quite. The URL belongs to Houston’s Russian Cultural Center, and “Our Texas” was the name of a Russian newspaper published here before the Cultural Center’s establishment. In fact, the…
The Year In Astros Baseball: 25 Things, Including Thank God For Jennie Finch
Mrs. Casey Daigle actually made some Astros games watchableLet’s face it. The Houston Astros suck. They sucked last season. They’re going to suck this season. As long as Drayton McLane and Ed Wade are involved with this team, they’re going to suck. But it’s the end of the year, so…
Top 5 Ways to Save Calories at a Holiday Potluck
The holidays are possibly the worst time to be a dieter, or at least try to maintain your current weight. With all the awesome pot-luck goodness going around, sometimes a free lunch is simply hard to resist. Here are a few simple ways to keep from packing on too many…
Top 12 Local Songs Of 2010
We’re admittedly the most insular, introverted member of the Rocks Off team. You’re more likely to find us sitting in our apartment with our headphones on digesting new music than out carousing with our peers. And we’re OK with that, mostly because Daddy Rocks Off occasionally asks us to write…
Top Five: Best TV Episodes of 2010
Full disclosure: There are so many good series on TV right now that it’s all but impossible to keep up with all of them. That sentiment might run counter to a lot of the complaints you see in this space, and while those complaints are true (e.g., Two and a…
Nicknaming the Inner Loop Kroger Stores
Kroger grocery stores have a long and storied history in the city of Houston. I worked at one myself when I was in high school. Over the years, they have grown and changed and these changes have led people to give them nicknames. After a frustrating series of shopping excursions…
Dear Santa: Christmas Wishes For Houston’s Music Scene
Editor’s Pick: Dear Santa, I would like everyone involved with music in Houston – the musicians, the press, clubowners, promoters, fans, etc. – to take themselves a little less seriously next year. I know music is some people’s whole lives, and that some people are even lucky enough to make…
Let There Be Light: Five Shows That Will Glow in 2011
While many visual art spaces will still be pulling together their 2011 schedules well into the year, some of the most interesting shows so far look pretty luminous. 5. Patricia Hernandez at DiverseWorks What discussion of light is complete without a nod to “Painter of Light” and DUI recipient, Thomas…
The Manichean: Back From The Dead With Visceral Lacerus
The Manichean is gearing up for their first full-length release next year. In the meantime, they will be releasing a new EP, Lacerus Rising, as appropriately bizarre as the excellent Whispers tonight at Avant Garden. In a way, the EP serves as a trailer for the longer release Houston’s weird-music…
Christmas Eve Store Hours, For All You Procrastinators
Maybe you’ve got today off and are planning to do your Christmas shopping. Maybe you don’t have today off, or maybe you just like putting things off to the last minute. A Friday Christmas Eve shopping trip sounds like hell to us, but if you’re determined to go through with…
The Top 5 Kwanzaa Dishes
Kwanzaa was established in 1966 as an alternative to Christmas, Hanukkah and other winter holidays of the season. The festival was founded on seven principles designed to strengthen the African-American community and is celebrated from December 26 to January 1, with the Karamu feast on New Year’s Eve. The extent…
The Ten Most Spectacular Cyber Attacks of 2010
As the internet becomes a primary source for everything from news and entertainment to commerce and business, it makes sense that groups and hackers would be busier than ever. Websites are far more vulnerable to attack than, for example, television stations and hackers of all types relish the thought of…
Lucio
Spanish bricklayer-by-trade Lucio Urtubia spent a lifetime fighting for anti-Franco and anarchist causes — the highlight of which was a 1977 effort in which he forged millions of dollars worth of Citibank Travellers checks, causing the firm’s stock price to fall. The Basque Zorro, as he was called, then used…
Stripping Through the Ages
Forget Cher and Christina — Angi B. Lovely and Melissa Meaow are the real ladies of burlesque. Valentine and Joule are amongst several other scantily clad beauties appearing in the holiday treat Ruby Revue Burlesque Show’s Stripping Through the Ages. Based out of Dallas, the Ruby Revue Burlesque Show will…
Boxing Day at Mucky Duck
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck will have a little something different on the schedule today. It’s Boxing Day, and the British pub celebrates the holiday on a grand scale. There will be some music, sure, but there’ll also be a Feast of St. Stephen’s Day Mass in honor of the martyr most…
The Houston Aeros vs. Texas Stars
What’s the holidays without a little pushing and shoving? No, we don’t mean you and your relatives at the dinner table. We mean the match between the Houston Aeros and the Texas Stars. When the two Lone Star teams met last month, fifth-ranked Houston took the win 4 to 2,…
It’s a Wonderful Life
Enjoy a night of old-fashioned holiday spirit with Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life, the sweetest Christmas flick of all time. Frank Capra’s 1946 drama chronicles one magical Christmas Eve. Stewart is George Bailey, the last good-hearted banker on the planet. He’s constantly fighting to save his town from…
Horror Remix: You Better Watch Out
If the only red you want to see this season is blood, Horror Remix: You Better Watch Out is perfect for you. Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 2, Christmas Evil and Iced are the holiday-themed horror films that have been remixed (all the scenes that didn’t involve nudity, hacking, killing,…
Raymond Benson: Choice of Weapons
When he was nine years old, Raymond Benson saw his first James Bond movie, Goldfinger, and got hooked on 007. Thirty-two years later, the native Texan was asked to write a James Bond novel, Zero Minus Ten, by the Bond publishers. Needless to say, it was a treat for Benson,…
The Gift of Laughter
HBO’s Def Comedy Jam comedian and Houston’s own Ali is headlining today’s The Gift of Laughter show. Ali, who counts Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor among his influences, often jokes about family relationships. For example, his eight-year-old daughter often uses one of his favorite phrases, “your funky ass.” (As in,…
“Christmas At Fitz” With 30 Foot Fall, Monster Soup, Something Fierce, Skeleton Dick, Commie Hillfiger, The Cutters, Caddywhompus
Ham, a pair of new Converse, family arguments, and 30 Foot Fall: the four things all Houston punk-rockers know to expect on Christmas night at Fitzgerald’s. For years now the veteran pop-punk band has been gracing the Fitz stage every holiday. Even though the club changed hands, the tradition lives…
Return to Sender
Editor’s note: Eight months ago, in part as a response to Arizona’s enactment of a law requiring its police to ask anyone they think might be here illegally (read: Mexicans) to produce proof of legal status, Village Voice Media embarked on an extensive national immigration project. It tasked VVM papers…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Burn the Floor, A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, A Fertle Holiday, The Nutcracker, Plaid Tidings, Santaland Diaries
Burn the Floor Their chests glisten, their hair whips around and sticks to sweaty foreheads, their legs scissor across the stage in blurring beats, they exude sex — and that’s just the guys. The gals are pretty much the same, except their chests are covered and they wear spangled skirts…
Another Year
Since we’re a heartbeat away from being sick-to-death of this month’s crop of Oscar-seeking masterpieces, we’ve decided to cast a quick glance forward to the ten 2011 films we’re excited to see. We’ve seen some of the below, and make no promises for the others, but, as ever, we’re hopeful…
Karina Longworth’s Top Ten Movies of 2010
Every four years, the American people act en masse to send a message to the nation’s power brokers, and every four years, this vote is interpreted as a sign of the decline in taste, intelligence and moral rectitude of the populace. Every four years, a Jackass movie opens at number…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Anthony Thompson Shumate: Cocky,” “Dynasty and Divinity,” “Eduardo Gil: Extra”
“Anthony Thompson Shumate: Cocky” When you’re an artist, people offer you all kinds of comments on and advice about your work, something they would never think of doing to, say, an accountant. Anthony Thompson Shumate decided to use those remarks as fodder for his show “Cocky” at Barbara Davis Gallery…
How the West Is Won
Boldly reanimating the comic Western that secured John Wayne his Oscar 41 years ago, the Coen brothers’ True Grit is well-wrought, if overly talkative, and seriously ambitious. Opening with a strategically abbreviated Old Testament proverb (“The wicked flee when none pursueth”), the film returns the Coens to the all-American sagebrush…
Arancini at Union Kitchen
One of the specialties of Sicily is arancini, or little oranges. At Union Kitchen (4057 Bellaire, 713-661-0025), J’s Arancini ($7) are more the size of mandarins than oranges, but they’re great nevertheless. Named for their orange color, these arancini are risotto balls covered in panko, or Japanese breadcrumbs, and deep-fried,…
Whole Hogg
For a look at more of Hoggs n’ Chicks juicy sandwiches and crispy salads, check out our slideshow. “I don’t care what anyone says,” my dining companion spoke thickly through a mouthful of cheesy pasta. “This is exactly how macaroni and cheese should be. Simple. No bullshit.” She was in…
Talk of the Nation
A picnic for Anglophiles, not to mention a prospective Oscar bonanza for the brothers Weinstein, The King’s Speech is a well-wrought, enjoyably amusing inspirational drama that successfully humanizes, even as it pokes fun at, the House of Windsor. The story — shy young prince helped by irascible wizard to break…
The Happen-Ins
Formed in early 2009, unkempt, slightly androgynous Austin rockers the Happen-Ins rapidly gained cachet in their hometown. Born out of the remnants of the Dedringers by Sean Faires and bassist John Mike Schopf (Hayes Carll), with Ricky Ray Jackson (Phosphorescent) and Houston drummer Paul Valdez (The Mastersons, John Egan), they…
The Gang’s All Here
Just in time for the whole family to file into the multiplex on a silent Christmas night when there’s nowhere else to go: a return to the magnified dysfunction of the Focker household, and the cozy holiday glow of some paychecking celebrities. This began a decade ago in Meet the…
Reprogram Holiday Bash
It’s “Trills the Season” toy drive time again. This time Reprogram Music & Media’s annual holiday throwdown heads to Fitzgerald’s with a great cross-section of local indie and hip-hop performers and DJs spinning for a good cause. Headlining upstairs will be Nosaprise’s soul-inflected project Screwtape, plus Spain Colored Orange, Young…
Decco Cafe
When you first see the new Decco Cafe (5120 Woodway, 281-963-8273) in the Decorative Center on Woodway, you can’t help but be struck by the magnificent space it occupies. A completely circular bar is at the heart of the dramatic restaurant, whose look lives up to its location, which, after…
Monday Night Hero
It’s almost midnight on a Monday night, and DJ Sun is in the middle of a set at The Flat (1701 Commonwealth). That previous sentence should be read with about as much “Oh really?” in your brain-voice as reading “the sun came up this morning” or “Gary Kubiak just made…
Rivers, The Dead Revolt
Houston blues-metal trio Rivers reminds us of Mudhoney and Blue Cheer, with an extra dose of Mark Arm’s nihilism and just a dash of The Cult’s mysticism. We only caught wind of these boys a month or so ago, so we’re a tad late to the party, but that doesn’t…
Children of God
The older kids led the way, younger siblings trailing in their wake, as they broke into a school. It wasn’t a random act of vandalism. No graffiti was painted on the walls. Computers weren’t hauled away, and the petty cash drawer was untouched. “All they took was food,” said Sheila…
Project Grimm, Clouded
The other day we were IMing a fellow music critic on Facebook, and the conversation turned to ’90s nostalgia, and when we would start seeing reunion tours from some of the Grunge Decade’s old soldiers. In Houston anyway, we only have to wait until Sunday, when two of the most…
Kickass Movies of the Year
Seen any good movies lately? If you live in Houston, that might be a trick question. Since the recent closings of both the downtown Angelika and the Landmark Greenway theaters, local options for limited-release independent and foreign films have been restricted to three screens at the Landmark River Oaks, a…
Hayes Carll
Hayes Carll is probably the pre-eminent thinking-man’s Texas musician of his generation: rowdy and rockin’ enough to impress the ballcap-clad yee-hawers, but thoughtful and witty enough to impress mentors (and now co-writers) Guy Clark and Ray Wylie Hubbard. For his annual holiday show at his old stomping grounds, Carll comes…
Lost at the Chateau Marmont
Sofia Coppola had her 21st birthday party at the Chateau Marmont — a fact she had forgotten until Phil Pavel, the manager of the hotel, reminded her while she was there shooting her new film, Somewhere. It’s the first feature to be granted clearance to shoot extensively inside the rooms…
Hole in the Heart
“I can hold the tape recorder,” offers filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell. “I tend to speak quietly.” Graciousness appears to be second nature to Mitchell — once an altar boy, always an altar boy — who has agreed to brave an increasingly cold L.A. afternoon by taking an outside table at…
J. Hoberman’s Top Ten Movies of 2010
Many of my favorite films of the year are still awaiting wider release, so although this top ten list wraps up my 2010, it can also serve as a guide to your 2011. My number one film, in fact, sneaks into New York just three days before the year ends:…
Special Navidad Edition
Dear Mexican, I live in a moderately fancy-ass suburb of Dallas, am super-white and make decent money. Naturally, I have a Mexican gardener/lawn dude who works his ass off, has 14 brothers and sisters in Guanajuato, employs all his relatives, etc. He also has a sweet wife and three little…
The Rap Renaissance
This is going to be a bit self-referential at first, but only to make a point. The year 2007 was a big one at the Serrano household, with amazing things happening every day, it seemed. In no real order, some of the highlights: Our favorite basketball team, the San Antonio…
It’s The Final Countdown
Don’t feel like risking getting popped in the eye when you pop the cork? Feel awkward shouting the end-of-year countdown in your living room? This New Year’s Eve, head to your local bar, where everybody shouts together and champagne comes in a glass! Don’t miss the musical attractions or balloon…
Hatchet Job
Montrose Murder Hatchet job: When I interviewed with Chris Vogel for this article, I suspected it was an Andy Kahan hatchet job, and it turned out to be just that [“Hate Crime & Punishment,” by Chris Vogel, December 9, 2010]. He left out the two polygraph tests given to Jon…
Juggalo Hijinks
CRIME, SOCIAL DISTORTION Juggalo Crime One puts it out on Facebook By John Nova Lomax It goes without saying that it’s not a good idea to commit another violent felony — specifically, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — while you are already on probation for a violent crime. And…
